James Hardin closes out the season with a Triple Double helping the Rockets secure the 2nd Seed and win the Southwest Division:

Saturday TV

RAPTORS @ WIZARDS (12:30et ESPN)
WARRIORS @ PELICANS (3:30et ABC)
BULLS @ BUCKS (7et ESPN)
ROCKETS @ MAVS (9:30et ESPN)

Sunday TV

CAVS @ CELTICS (3et ABC)
HAWKS @ NETS (5:30et TNT)
GRIZZLIES @ BLAZERS (8et TNT)
CLIPPERS @ SPURS (10:30et TNT).

I believe the Houston Rockets made NBA history tonight.

The Rockets won the Division Title in a Division in which EVERY TEAM within that Division made the Post Season! Ecept for New Oleans (45), EVERY team within this DIVISION had 50+ wins. This is New Orleans first trip to the post season since trading Chris Paul to the LA Clipprts.

and Harden tied Dream with 4 triple doubles in a season

Shaquille O’Neal
center, Orlando Magic
You had a guy that was fundamentally sound against a guy that was young, flamboyant, and talented. He [dream] taught me everything I needed to know about being a winner.

ichie Adubato
assistant coach, Orlando Magic
We walk in [the bar], there’s three groups: Marilyn Manson and his people, Sesame Street On Ice, and us. What a mixture. Shaq goes in and he knew Marilyn Manson. He goes in and he picks him up in the air like he was a toothpick.

I hope the Rockets can get past the Mavericks.

Rockets won the season series vs Mavs, 3-1. Howard played only in the 4th meeting (HOU 108-101)......this being said, it can be difficult to defeat a team seven times.

You guys are being modest, Mavs are going to get killed, and realistically Rockets can beat Spurs or Clippers in the second round so the Rockets could surprisingly make the Conference Finals..

The Mavericks won 26 of their first 36 games of the Season. However, since January 5th, Dallas is a meager 24-22. After Game One in Houston tomorrow, there are two full days of rest before Game Two on Tuesday......followed by another two full days of rest before Game Three in Dallas one week from tonight. I believe this format helps The Big German more than it will Howard.

The sneaky good dallas was monta ellis dallas, this is rondo dallas. Notice rondo boston was not a playoff team, post rondo boston is.. houston in 6

I guess its time to make my predictions..

Semis will be.. (the in # is how many games the first round will go)

Warriors in 6vs Blazers in 6
Houston in 6 vs Clippers in 7
Hawks in 5 vs wizards in 6
Cleveland in 5 vs Chicago in 5

But if Bucks and Spurs win instead id not br surprised

Dallas area sports radio is summoning Playoff Rondo.

If you look back at the Maverick records I posted above, 26-10 was before Rondo trade, 24-22 (before halfway point of the season) was after.

Playoff Rondo was the product of his continuity in a system and roster. PG need to KNOW their team's system and even more have chemistry with his squad. I don't we'll see playoff rondo this year

This is fucking brilliant.. westbrook new name gotta be Euro Art-Porn yo

Mavs at Rockets GAME ONE

Dwight Howard stayed in foul trouble much of the night. In 136 games (reg & playoff), Terrence Jones had just one 6 assist game. Mr. Jones had 6 assist in Game One tonight. Mr. Jones NEVER had a 15 point - 5 rebound - 5 assist game. Tonight's performance was: 19 points - 9 rebounds - 6 assists = played big!

The Mavericks shot 10-31 FG, 32% & had two offensive rebounds when Howard was in the game (17:22). Dallas shot 34-68, 50%, 12 offensive rebounds when Howard was out (30:38).

This season as a starter (18 games), Jason Terry shot 43.3% on 3's......made 4-7 tonight. No doubt Jason had a little pep in his step facing his old team.

Last but not least, Rockets committed 11 first half turnovers and ONLY two in the second half!

Sitting on my couch with a big bowl of popcorn, not having a dog in the fight......so enjoying this Spur vs Clipper game!

#NoSpursDont

go Clippers!
during 1st quarter I thought it would turn out be be an easy match, then all of a sudden the Spurs were back again and all the time there was a chance they could take the lead but they never made it
anyway, Clippers is the only team I try to follow, which is barely possible because of the time difference. It's 7:30AM now, I should hit the shower and get working....

Tunic that's exactly how i fealt about 2010 World Cup, i was watching games at 4am before work.. ill keep you posted on what games will be worth your trouble.. the better games are in a few weeks during the Semis and Conference Finals.. and yeah, it was fun to watch the cocky ass Spurs get their asses handed to them

#ByeByeSpurs

During the regular season, the Dallas Mavericks road record vs. playoff teams in the West was 2-11.

Guessing this will be the "theme" of tonight's game:

Celtics look good and scrappy, too young to challenge cavs in 2nd half but they should be ecstatic for their future.. shit if they play like theyve been playing the past two months they easily becomeca top5 in the east..

Next season could be
1cavs
2hawks
3bulls
4hawks
5celtics
6heat
7raptors
8pacers

Ditched class tonight, expecting to see a lot of.free throws ;)

Mavs at Rockets GAME TWO



In all my years of watching Rocket games, I don't recall anything like last night......Josh Smith had more alley-oop assists in the fourth quarter (5) than the Indiana Pacers did the entire season (3)......most dunks (14) by one team in a playoff game since the early 90's.



For the second straight game, there was a steady stream of "whoever" blowing by Dirk. Having a bad shooting game is one thing......can't believe how slow Dirk is playing.

I believe Rajon Rondo has given up on the Mavericks. Nine minutes of play in the first half and starts the 3rd Quarter by receiving a technical and NOT returning to the game......someone on Mike & Mike this morning was saying Rajon has been talking with Laker players about joining them next season = sad.

Dallas would have been better off keeping Jason Terry: 9-13 FG, 6-9 3's, 24 points, 3 assists, 3 steals and ONLY two turnovers in the first two games of the series......not bad of an old man!

_ALLAS has lost it's D and they have two days to find it!

I tried to tell you bytor, "Playoff Rondo" was product of a strong roster and coaching system.. dude seems to have given up on bball in general, not just mavs

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/news/2...lutch_city.php

Clutch City: An Oral History of the Houston Rockets Miracle Playoff Run

" A good friend of mine is Bill Russell, one of the greatest centers ever. He was retired when I came into the league, but I've been around Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Walton, Shaquille O'Neal. Well, Russell and I are coming off the golf course one day in Kingwood, we are sitting in the locker room, and guys are asking Russell his opinion on centers. He says, "Let me tell you this -- Hakeem Olajuwon is the greatest center to ever play the game." That's from BILL RUSSELL." - Gene Peterson, Rockets radio play-by-play man

Rajon Rondo is the most hated man in Dallas since, Lee Harvey Oswald. However, Oswald was a much better shot :eek:

The old man played huge with 28 points last night......turns 39 on Saturday = amazing!


Rockets/Mavs had another two fulls days of rest and a thirty minute flight to Dallas......Spurs/Clippers have today off before tipping in the Alamo City tomorrow night.


What a story......thanks for sharing it!

Sighs.. spurs did spurs things yesterday but they just don't feel like a team that can win two or more series on the road.. i mean they were two untimely Griffin turnovers away from going down 0-2. Its 1st round so them scrapping a few wins is no big surprise but spurs are essentially the Patriots. They thrive at home on their role players but role players can only do so much on the road

The Mavericks pushed San Antonio to Game Seven last year in the First Round and we all know how that ended up......as usual, the Spurs bench was clutch!

Don't forget to spread the love around as the Clipper's did Clipper things too......being the team that doesn't handle "big pressure" situations when they count!

The travel and quick turnaround should favor LA!

Yes but this year spurs have to play ALL their series on the road, its an entirely different ball gme. Last time spurs didn't have homecourt they lost the Conference game to the Thunder on the road and the next year lost to the Heat in the Finals on the road..

Pelicans WERE putting in work on Warriors like 2010 thunder did the Lakers until they let Golden State crawl back.. what a waste

Thibs grind his roster unnecessarily into the ground as usual..

Lebron told Boston crowd, "and what!"

Yeah Chris Paul be acting like a chump now and then.. hope you got to see that game or the pelicans warriors game yesterday because they both are the epitome of what the NBA playoffs are about. God i love playoffs basketball.. best two months of the year

Man looking back and considering the evolution of last year's Spurs and the Warriors this year my description seems very apt.. Seven seconds or less Sun lit the torch, Miami Heat in Lebron era blazed the trail, seems like 2010s decade of bball will be "pace and space"

Rockets @ Mavericks Game Three

The only other time in franchise history the Rockets were up 3-0 in a best-of-7 series, The Houston Rockets went on to sweep the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals.

James Harden so far in this series: 30 points per game (24-52 FG). 46%; 7-16 from 3 point range, 44%; 35-37 Free Throws 95%, 8.7 assisst per NBA Playoffs.

Dwight Howard became just the third Rockets player, behind Olajuwon and Moses Malone, for the most post season boards in franchise history (26 rebounds).

Rockets allowed 33 fast break points to Mavs. The most they allowed during regular season was 28 to Golden State.

Monta Ellis was great, 15-25 FG, 34 pts, 9 assists. Dirk ended with 34 pts on 10-19, both had only 1 turnover......Dalllas had just 10 turnovers for the game.

Rockets have a defensive rating of 119.. if they want a championship gonna have to lock it down. Poor Blazers, wtf happened to them? Pelicans really let that Warriors comeback get into their head. Props to Nets, even playing totally "meh" they pulled off an upset, its official HAWKS ARE SO BORING IF THEY MAKE FINALS IT WILL BE ON NBATV. Wizards just kicking Raps in balls when they're already down. Warriors used to be humble, who are these cocky fucks? They did realize that plenty of teams have won 60-something games and still NOT won the championship right?? Cavs having fun but the Celtics are playing scrappy as fuck. Anyone i miss? Oh yeah, Clippers are the Tony Romo of the NBA, so don't let that over inflate Spurs stock, last time i checked they have lost every big playoff series when on the road, and they have to go out on the road every series of the playoffs??

....

#JaeCrowder

In Sunday's home loss to the Clipper's, Tim Duncan moved into 3rd place on the "most playoff games played" list......care to name the top two???


04) Kareem Abdul-Jabar
03) Tim Duncan
02) ???
01) ???

Wait, having gone to ten NBA finals how is kareem behind timmy??